Here and Now
by saucywench20
Summary: Sequel to 'Until next time, love.' ItaNaru goodness. Read and Review.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto.

**Title: **Here and Now

**Pairing: **Itachi/Naruto

**Stuff: **This is the sequel to 'Until next time, love.' Originally I didn't plan on writing a sequel for it, but since so many of you guys asked for more, here it is. Enjoy.

* * *

There comes a time in everyone's life in which they are presented a choice.

They are given two paths to follow.

The path of the mind and the path of the heart.

Most people, regardless of their delusions concerning their own emotionality, chose the path of the mind.

This is the rational path in life.

The rational path is the path that you chose taking into consideration what your pro's and con's are. This is the path in which you sit and plot and think about past, present, future and how the three intertwine.

While many people would not believe it, it was this path that Naruto walked for the vast majority of his life.

Every single day he had to make a decision to get up and face the village that scorned him or to stay in bed and cry.

Every action was rationally thought out as well, especially when he was training with his teammates.

Did he dare show that he was indeed the furthest thing from a dunce and therefore encourage what was sure to be painful inquiry or did he keep on the guise of jester and keep his secrets and sanity intact?

His entire life pretty much was a reflection of those decisions.

_Was _being the key word.

That was until of course he met Itachi.

It was pretty much at this point, that all rational discourse flew out the window.

Naruto never truly knew what he was doing with Itachi to begin with.

Itachi was an wanted criminal.

A murderer several times over.

A traitor to the village he swore to protect with his every breathe.

Yet...

This didn't stop Naruto from falling in love with the man.

And it certainly didn't deter him from carrying on a relationship with him for years in secret.

Naruto knew, in his rational mind, that he should just turn him in. After all, this was the man that had slain his kin. The man that drove Sasuke off the cliff of sanity and nearly got Naruto killed or seriously maimed on a number of occasions.

But he could not betray him. His heart would not allow it. To think of it would encourage emotional agony of the likes that he had never before felt.

Naruto knew that there was no way that he could ever _think_ of hurting Itachi, let alone him in.

When he was with Itachi, he felt that everything was fine even if the world around them was in flames.

Which was pretty much why he allowed his heart to make the single most important decision of his life.

He had left everything that he ever cherished behind to be with the man that he loved.

His friends.

His dreams.

Everything was left behind without a second glance.

And Naruto didn't regret a second of it.

Itachi had come to him in the dead of night, on the tenth day of the tenth month of the year, free of his Akatsuki cloak and with his katana stained dripping with their blood and asked that he run away with him.

And Naruto did.

All tapestries of his former life were gone.

* * *

Naruto gazed up at the clouds with a small smile gracing his face as he relaxed on the tree branch he had been on for the past hour.

Life was so very good.

He and Itachi had been living in Spring Country for the past three years now.

They lived in a house that Itachi had purchased for them in a small village located near the northern woodlands there, it was near the mountains and very peaceful. The village that they lived in was a place where demons and humans peacefully coexisted. It was also a place that didn't ask any unnecessary questions.

Naruto rubbed his slightly swollen stomach absently as he thought about all that he had left behind and all that he had gained.

There really was no question as to what the best decision for him.

A strong pair of arms pulled him into a warm embrace.

"You know that you shouldn't be up here in your condition."

Naruto smiled softly at his lover, "Sorry. I just couldn't resist. It's such a beautiful day and all I wanted to do was lay here and relax."

"Hn."

Naruto chuckled and leaned into Itachi's chest, "How was your day?"

Itachi nuzzled the blonde's head, relishing in the feel of the soft hair.

"Alright. I managed to find a store in these parts that sells ramen, so I got some for you."

"Really?"

"Hn."

Itachi's hands were gently rubbing Naruto's stomach and Naruto melted at the sensation.

Itachi felt a bit of movement from his lover's tummy.

"Is our little one giving you a hard time?"

Naruto looked up at his and smiled, "No, he's been pretty good. I think he's just eager to get out and meet his daddy."

Itachi smiled, "Come now, let's go home."

Itachi gathered the blonde in his arms and quickly made his way to their home.

Naruto just leaned back and enjoyed the ride.

He was living for the here and now, and that was all that mattered.


End file.
